Grafton Underwood, England (Station 106) 1943-1945
Combat History of the 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in WWII
384th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
"Keep The Show On The Road"
| Serial Number: | 42-5404 |
| Name: | THE GEEZIL |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Boeing Airplane Company, B-17F-50-BO, Camouflage |
| Squadron: | 545th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: | 545th‑JD*M |
| Start Date: | 22 August 1943. Transferred: Received from the 306th BG.. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 21 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 30 January 1944. Failed to return from combat operations. |
| Related Documents: | Missing Air Crew Report # 2264⇓ (4.236 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Aircraft 42-5404 Photo Album⇗ |
| History: | Delivered to Cheyenne, Wyoming [for modification] on 2 December 1942. Moved to West Palm Beach [Morrison Army Air Field], Florida on 18 December 1942. Assigned to the 369th Bombardment Squadron, squadron code WW-D, 306th Bombardment Group at Thurleigh, Station 111, UK on 1 February 1943. Transferred to the 545th Bombardment Squadron, squadron code JD-M, 384th Bombardment Group, Station 106, Grafton Underwood on 22 August 1943. The aircraft went missing In action on a mission to Brunswick, Germany on 30 January 1944 with Pilot Horace F. Writz, Bombardier Paul M. Beeler, Engineer/Top Turret Warren E. Gribbons, 3 POW; Copilot Robert S. Gorman, Radio Operator Frank G. Robertson Jr., Ball Turret Gunner Anthony J. Hetzer, Waist Gunner Zenen C. Mikolayk, Waist Gunner Edward S. Gac, Tail Gunner Edward J. Pazsit, 7 Killed In Action (KIA). The aircraft was shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed at Doehren, near Melle, 18 miles Southeast of Osnabruck, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 2264. Aircraft Name: THE GEEZIL |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18⇗ | 27 August 1943 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Watten, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 22⇗ | 7 September 1943 | Target: Bruxelles-Evere Airfield/Repair Depot Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brussels / Bruxelles, Belgium | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 23⇗ | 9 September 1943 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Lille-Vendeville, France | Completed Mission | Low Squadron Deputy Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 24⇗ | 16 September 1943 | Target: Blockade Runner Ship (in Loire River) Type: Transportation Location: Nantes, France | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Turned back; unable to locate formation after passing through cloud layer. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 21 September 1943 | Riems, France, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 25⇗ | 23 September 1943 | Target: Submarine Repair Ship Type: Submarine Facility Location: Nantes, France | Completed Mission | Landed away at RAF Wing, Buckinghamshire. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 26⇗ | 27 September 1943 | Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 27⇗ | 2 October 1943 | Target: Port Facilities Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 28⇗ | 4 October 1943 | Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Turned back because pilot couldn't find formation after taking off 50 minutes late because of 'failure in ball turret.'. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 29⇗ | 8 October 1943 | Target: Workshops Type: Submarine Facility Location: Bremen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 31⇗ | 10 October 1943 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Münster, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 33⇗ | 20 October 1943 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Düren, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| --⇗ | 30 October 1943 | Gelsenkirchen, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 35⇗ | 5 November 1943 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| --⇗ | 13 November 1943 | Bremen, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 40⇗ | 5 December 1943 | Target: Fighter Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France | Returned To Base | Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 41⇗ | 11 December 1943 | Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 42⇗ | 13 December 1943 | Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany | Completed Mission | Low group, high Squadron deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 43⇗ | 16 December 1943 | Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 45⇗ | 22 December 1943 | Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Osnabrück, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 47⇗ | 30 December 1943 | Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 48⇗ | 31 December 1943 | Target: Blockade Runner 'Orsone' (name of ship) Type: Transportation Location: [Mouth of River Garonne], France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 49⇗ | 4 January 1944 | Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Kiel, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 52⇗ | 11 January 1944 | Target: Ju-88 Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt, Germany | Completed Mission | Carried nickles (propaganda leaflets}. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 53⇗ | 14 January 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Le Meillard, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 54⇗ | 21 January 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France | Completed Mission | 41A Group, Low Squadron Lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 24 January 1944 | Frankfurt am Main, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | A Grp Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 55⇗ | 29 January 1944 | Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Lead group. Turned back at 0825 hrs because exhaust stack broke on #3 engine, which then had to be feathered. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 56⇗ | 30 January 1944 | Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany | Failed To Return | Low group. Seen going down before bombs away due to enemy aircraft attacks; crashed near Döhren, Germany. Casualties buried in Riemsloh. MACR 2264 Sortie Report ⇗ |